Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1887-03-15
INTERSTATE COMMERCE
HOW THE LAW WILL AFFECT
WESTERN NEVADA.

WESTERN lew
An Interview wish ID. A. Bender.
General Passenger and Freight
agent OF m Virginia d rruckee
and Carson 4 Colorado Railroad
Companies.
A Reno Gazette reporter interviewed
D. A. Bender, General Freight and Pas
senger Agent Of the Virginia & Truckee
and Carson & Colorado Railroad Com.
panies, concerning the effects of the In.
terstate Commerce law, which will be in
force on April 5 next, as follows:
Reporter-Do you believe that the ex.
pectations Of the people of Nevada, gen.
orally, as to the good results to come
from the operations of the Interstate
Commerce law, will be realized; or, in
other words, will the State be substan.
TALLY benefited thereby
Mr.. Bender-No; / hardly think our
people, particularly those who have di.
rect dealings with the railroad-that is,
the shippers and c%onsigners, will be as
well satisfied as they are now with ex.
listing rates and methods. l don't know
as it will make q much difference with
the towns along he line Of the overland
railroad, as it will with points on the
line of our local connecting roads and
adjacent districts, which, on account Of
greater distance and additional expense
of team haul to and from the railroad,
have enjoyed through special rates to
and from Sacramento and San Francisco,
ETC., and which they will cease to have
after April S. In this case the effect Of
the law will be injurious to local in
terests. To illustrate: We have now in
force with the Central Pacific, special
rates on ore, base metals, grain, salt,
soda, marble, wool, hides, potatoes, etc.,
from points on our road to Sacramento
and San Francisco; also, such rates on
certain articles from those points to
points on our roads-interstate traffic.
These rates, per notice that / have al
ready received from the General Freight
Agent of the Southern Pacific Company,
will be withdrawn on the date named, so
that hereafter the articles / have men.
toned will be billed at the respective
local rates of the several roads, the sum
of which makes higher rates than the
through rates now in force. Take, for
instance, potatoes, of which we hauled
during the year 1886 over the Virginia &
Truckee, 1877 carloads that were loaded
at Wabuska, Dayton, Carson, Washoe,
etc., and billed to Sacramento and San
Francisco. A general rate of 80 cents
per 100 pounds is in force on this article
from all the shipping points 1 have
named, as it is from Reno and other
points on the Central Pacific, the object
being, you see, to give a rancher at Day
ton the same transportation rate as the
rancher at Lovelock or Reno has an ever
chance all around. Now, it is plain
that if the Central Pacific charges and
collects q rate Of 30 cents per 100 pounds
on spuds from Reno to San Francisco, il
cannot collect for its proportion 80 cents
on shipments from Dayton to San Fran.
cisco, as that would leave nothing fol
the Virginia & Truckee and Carson &
Colorado roads. As I understand Sec.
tion 2 of the law, the charges must be
the same for like and contemporaneous
service. This must be the view of the
Southern Pacific officials. Otherwise,
the order cancelling the existing special
rates would not have been sent me. ]
have always been a jealous advocate oil
low rates On the productions Of our State
to a market outside of the State, when.
over such rates created traffic, that is
business generally. Therefore, / am
sorry to see any law in force which will
interfere Herewith. 1t certainly retards
the development of our industries gen.
orally. What / have said about potatoes
applies with equal force to ore and base
metal, the through rates on which must
be increased when the Central Pacific ap.
ply local tariff rates on all shipments
they receive at Reno. This action, how.
ever, will not injure your reduction
works here.
Reporter-Do you think the law will
bring q reduction in overland freight
charges to Reno?
Nj. Bender-Probably on some few
articles, yes. But on most articles we
consume and use / think no. Should the
Union Pacific Railway Company inter-
pref Section 2 Of this law as l have out
lined, and demand and collect from the
Southern Pacific the same rates at Ogden
on shipments consigned to Sacramento,
Reno, etc.. as they demand and collect
on like shipments consigned to Ogden,
Salt Lake City, etc.. you can readily see
that an increase in through overland
rates will be the result. In other words
the through overland rates will be the
sum of the local rates of the respective
roads participating in the haul. Should.
however, the Commissioners place q diff
ferent Interpretation on this section, as
they may do, the result would be much
the opposite. Anyway, as the penalties
provided for . violation Of the Interstate
Act are most summary and severe the
public cannot censure the railroads for
enforcing the law to the letter as they
understand it.
Reporter--Well, if u people pay no
higher rate than is charged on the same
freight going to Sacramento--that is,
are not charged the back rates from
Sacramento in addition to the through
they be satisfied!
Mr.. Bender-Hardly. IL the rates